Method of rendering textile material water repellent, and the product



Patented Dec. 7, 1948 METHOD OF RENDERING TEXTILE MATE RIAL WATER REPELLENT, AND THE PRODUCT Peter J. Ariente, Pawtucket, and Herman C. Allen, Saylesville, 1t. 1., assignora to Sayles Finishing Plants, lnc., Saylesvillc, R. L, a corporation of Rhode Island No Drawing. Application March 10, 1944;, Serial No. 525,942

5 Claims. (Cl. 117-167) The present invention is concerned with methods'for imparting durable water-repellent properties to normally water-permeable fibrous textile materials, such as cotton or rayon yarns and fabrics, and to the water-repellent textile materials so produced. An object of the invention is to produce textile materials having such properties and having a soft, full, leathery hand, adequate air permeability and a finish which is permanent to washing and dry cleaning.

' Another object of our invention is to produce such a finish without chemical attack upon and weakening of the structure of the material.

In our process, the cotton, rayon or other like yarn or fabric is impregnated with a dispersion or emulsion of the long chain fatty acid amide, cetyl acetamide, and one or more organic salts of zirconium, and then the impregnated material is dried at an elevated temperature, preferably around 280 F. or up to 300 F. This treatment imparts to the fibrous material the desired waterrepellent permanent finish without observable chemical reaction between the treating agents and the fibrous material and without in any way weakening the material or reducing its body. Our tests show that the cetyl acetamide does not react chemically in the process.

A specific example of the impregnating dispersion is as follows:

Per cent cetyl acetamidp 17.0 Butyl Ce1losolve 11.6 Zirconium stearate 4.2 Zirconium formate 1.5 Water 65.7 The percentages given are by weight.

The cetyl acetamide is thoroughly mixed and wetted with water and the b utyl Cellosolve (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether) which acts as emulsifier and solvent. The mixture is quickly brought to a boil, then cooled to about 90 F., and dispersed in a paint mill or similar device. The zirconium salts are dissolved and/or dispersed in water along with any mineral wax which it may be desired to add. Dispersion is facilitated by running the mixture through a colloid mill. These two so prepared mixtures are now blended and further dispersed by running them together through a colloid mill.

If desired, to by weight of a high melt.- ing point mineral wax, such as cerise wax, may be included preferably by emulsification; with a corresponding reduction in the amount of water.

, Another specific example of the dispersion, in-- cluding mineral wax, is as follows:

Zirconium for The amount of the treating mixture to be applied to a fabric, or the like, will depend primarily upon the weight and weave of the material and upon the degree of water-repellency desired. For the treatment of moderate weight fabrics for example it has been found suitable to dilute the dispersion mixture, prepared as above, to 10 to 15% (by weight) of its original strength with warm or cold water before application. The dispersion mixture, diluted as required and preferably at a temperature of about 100 F., may be applied to a fabric by impregnating in a pad, mangle, quetch, or any similar device, and then dried thoroughly at a temperature of about 280 F. or higher, suitably for about a minute at 300 F. Drying may be carried out on a tenter frame, drying cans, in a hot chamber, or other heating device. The higher the temperature the shorter is the time required for drying, but it is obvious that the temperature should not be high enough to scorch or otherwise damage the fabric or the like, undergoing treatment.

Fabrics or yarns treated according to our invention have a soft, full, leathery hand, are highly water-repellent yet possess adequate air permeability and the finish endures through washing and dry cleaning. In these respects the finish has the desirable water-repellent properties obtained by methods in which an organic compound containing a long chain fatty component is chemically decomposed on the fabric. But these former methods, because of the chemi-- cal reaction which takes place, have a tendency to weaken the fabric by chemical attack, a loss of 10% to 15% in the tensile strength of fabric so treated being not unusual. Our process eliminates this undesirable tendency and fabrics fin- .ished thereby are uniformly of undiminished or normal tensile strength. Moreover, there is no process is much simpler to apply and to control than methods involving chemical reaction and no special machinery, such as is required for the latter, is needed.

We claim:

1. The process oi producing a durable waterrepellency in a fibrous textile material which comprises impregnating the material with an aqueous dispersion oi cetyl acetamide and at least one zirconium salt oi an organic acid in approximately the relative proportions three parts by weight oi cetyl acetamide to one part by weight oi zirconium salt and drying the impregnated material at an elevated temperature. I

2. The process of producing a durable waterrepellency in a fibrous textile material which comprises impregnating the material with an aqueous dispersion of cetyl acetamide, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and zirconium salts oi organic acids in approximately the relative proportions oi three parts by weight of cetyl acetamide to two parts by weight of ethlyene glycol monobutyl ether to one part by weight oi zirconium salts and drying the impregnated material at an elevated temperature.

3. The process of producing a durable waterrepellency in a fibrous textile material which comprises impregnating the material with an aqueous dispersion of cetyl acetamide, zirconium stearate and zirconium iormate in approximately the relative proportions four parts by weight of cetyl acetamide to one part by weight of zirconium stearate to one-third part by weight of zirconium iormate, and drying the impregnated material at an elevated temperature.

4. As new articles oi manufacture, textile yarns and iabrics having a durable water-repellency imparted thereto by the presence therein and thereon oi the dry residue oi an aqueous dispersion oi cetyl acetamide and at least one zirconium salt of an organic acid in approximately the relative proportions three parts by weight 0! cetyl acetamide to one part by weight oi zirconium salt.

5. As new articles oi manufacture, textile yarns and fabrics having a durable water-repellency imparted thereto by the presence therein and thereon at the dry residue oi an aqueous dispersion oi cetyl acetamide, zirconium stearate and zirconium iormate in approximately the relative proportions iour parts by weight oi cetyl acetamide to one part by weight oi zirconium stearate to one-third part by weight oi zirconium iormate.

. PETER. J. ARIENTE. HERMAN C. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES "Chemical-Glyco," publ. by Glyco Products (:0. Inc., Brooklyn, New York, 1942, page 58. 

